This Old Wound Won't Heal With Time
by sarahyyy
Summary: I love her, George. If she's happier this way, I would be too. Fred/Hermione/Draco angsty oneshot


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* * *

"This Old Wound Won't Heal With Time"**

Disclaimer: Do not own any characters you recognise. Title came from "Kill! Kill! Kill!" by The Pierces and I do not own that too.

A/N: Contains unrequited love of sorts and character death. Beta'd by strawberrimelon. =D

* * *

She didn't really remember the chain of events that led to this. All she remembered was a jet of green light, a scream and the deafening thud in the middle of the silent cemetery that told her of a limp body falling onto the ground.

Hermione stared in shock the body that lay a few feet away from where she was standing. Her legs had frozen in place and all of the sudden she couldn't move; the sudden tightening of her chest suffocated her and she couldn't breath. No thoughts could process themselves properly in her mind. The only thought that ran through her mind as she stared at the familiar looking head of blond hair was, '_Not him_.'  


* * *

She doesn't really remember how long she had been inside her room, alternating between dreaming and crying. Dreaming of the good old days they had; crying because she had lost it all.

They said that they were sorry. Said that they hadn't expected it to happen. They said that it was a tragedy. Said that they knew how she felt.

They lied.

Nobody understood how she felt.

Nobody could ever _dream _of coming close to knowing how she felt.

They wouldn't know of the pain that coursed through her body when his heartbeat stopped. They wouldn't know of the loneliness that spread throughout her. They don't know now. They wouldn't ever know.

He had promised that he would stay with her forever. He had promised that they would love each other forever. He had promised her that they would leave England once the war was over and done with. He had promised her a simple life together in which they wouldn't have to worry about anything. He had promised her a small, simple wedding by the sea, with only the sky and the earth as their witness and no one else. He had promised her that they would lie down under the sky to stare at the stars. He had promised her happy children that they would dotingly raise. He had promised her a lovely family together.

He had promised her so many things.

He had promised her a lifetime together.

His promises were now broken. Shattered. They were nothing more than memories right now. They were now wisps of nothingness that would remain shut deep down in her heart. Nothing more.

Her Draco was dead.

And she didn't know what to do.  


* * *

He couldn't stand it anymore. He couldn't just sit there and pretend that nothing had happened. He couldn't just let her torture herself like that.

He had to help her get over him by all means. He just simply had to.

It was with those thoughts in his head that he knocked on her door softly, calling out her name, "Hermione. It's me, Fred."

She didn't reply.

"Hermione, we're all really worried about you. Would you please just talk to me?"

The only thing he could hear from the room were soft sniffles every now and then. She was awake. But she was crying. He suddenly wasn't so sure which one he'd prefer.

"Hermione, _please_, let me in."

Silence.

Fred bit at his cheeks. Silence meant consent anyway.

And so he turned the knob of the door clockwise, slowly, never expecting that single action to prompt the biggest change in his life.

* * *

Hermione stared at the door knob, trying to ignore the voice outside. She kept her eyes focused on it as it slowly turned.

It was the same silver as Draco's eyes. And suddenly all she could think of was him. And that jet out green light. And his scream. And his body. "Draco is dead," she whispered to herself, "He's dead. He doesn't want me anymore…"

But the flashbacks still flooded her mind like no other. The first time they met. The first time she realised that she hated him. The first time she hit him. The first time he hexed her. The first time they worked together for the Order. The first time she realised that she was in love. The first time he told her he loved her.

She loved him…

He loved her…

He couldn't be dead. He just couldn't be.

* * *

Fred slowly pushed the door open, not wanting to agitate Hermione. She was still emotionally unstable and he didn't want to put her through more than she had to go through.

Hermione was staring right at him. Her brown eyes locked onto his blue ones unblinkingly.

Fred's lips parted slightly at the look of her. The rim of her eyes were red and swollen. The tracks of her tears were still easily noticeable on her cheeks. The hurt in her eyes was evident. "Oh Hermione…" he breathed out.

And for the first time in three days, Hermione uttered her first word. Her eyes were still trained on his, but the name that left her lips was _'Draco'_.

* * *

She knew it. He wasn't dead. Why were they all lying to her? Why did they all tell her that Draco was dead when he was standing perfectly in front of her?

She had so many questions, but she didn't care for the answers right now. There would be a better time and place for this.

Right now, she wanted to be with her Draco. Right now, all she wanted was to feel his arms holding her close to him.

* * *

The next few days flew by in a whirl to Fred.

Hermione was still emotionally unstable and the healers told them not to excite her too much. There was practically nothing he could do, the healer had told them. Matters of the mind had to be resolved by their own, and there was nothing he could administer to her to make her feel better.

So Fred remained 'Draco' to her. Because he loved her too much to see her hurt. At least when he was with her now, she smiled. She still had her bouts of confusion, but now she smiled. And if he had to be Draco Malfoy to make her smile, by Merlin he would remain Draco Malfoy.

Hermione was now like a little child. She hardly wanted to be near anyone else, with the exception of himself. And in the event that she did, the conversation laid on the light side. Harry and Ron hadn't been able to afford more time to wait for Hermione. There were Horcruxes to destroy and a Dark Lord to kill. Fred didn't think it was right for them to do that, but who was he to say anything?

Her turned to the sleeping witch next to him. At least now Hermione was all his.

* * *

"Hey, Gred," came the voice behind him. Fred continued staring at his shoes. He didn't need to look up to know that his twin was standing behind him. He had been expecting this for quite some time now.

"Hey, Forge," he replied, acknowledging George's presence there. He felt George sat down next to him.

For a long, drawn out moment, the both of them just sat there, both desperate to feel normal again. No one spoke, no one moved. In that moment, they were just them. Fred and George.

"Why?" George uttered, the single syllable breaking the silence between them.

"Why what?" Fred closed his eyes even though he knew George couldn't see him anyway.

George sighed, hating the way he knew this conversation would turn out to be. "Why are you letting her treat you like that?"

"Like what?" Fred gritted out, clenching his fists.

"Fred, talk to me." When he didn't reply, George turned to face him and shouted, "Talk to me, damn it, _talk to me_!"

Fred swallowed. His mind was spinning and he didn't know what to say. That was a first. He had always been able to tell George everything. No subject had ever been too uncomfortable to touch on. But this…

This was different.

George must have sensed his discomfort and his unwillingness to speak for he stood up and dusted off the grass on his jeans. Without a word, he walked away.

"George!" Fred called, right at the last minute, before he was out of earshot. For the first time that day, Fred met his eyes. "I love her, George. If she's happier this way, I would be too."

George's only reply was a sad smile, as if he knew it all along too.

* * *

"What do you mean she's their target now?" If anyone had told Fred three weeks ago that he would have his Potions Master Severus Snape pinned onto the wall while the later didn't even bother to retaliate, Fred would have laughed. But he wasn't laughing now.

"The Dark Lord says it's her fault that the Malfoy rebelled. He has ordered the capture of all mud bloods starting with Miss Granger-"

"DON'T CALL HER A MUDBLOOD!" Fred shouted. His breath came in short pants as his hands closed tightly over Professor Snape's neck.

"Don't make me use my wand, Mr. Weasley," Severus warned.

Fred couldn't think properly. All he knew was that he was so angry. All he could see was that spark of red blinding his vision right now.

His hands squeezed harder, trying to bait Severus into retaliating. Fred wanted to feel some pain. Something that would remind him of how vulnerable he was. He wanted to do so many things for Hermione. But how many of them was he really capable of? Could he really protect her from Voldemort? Could he keep her safe? Could he make her happy? Was he even fit to do that?

He needed someone to remind him that he was only human, that he would make mistakes too, that he wasn't perfect. He needed to feel physical pain.

But Severus never made move to hit him or to grab his wand. He just allowed Fred to continue trying to strangle him.

"Draco?" came a small voice from the kitchen door, "What are you doing to Professor Snape, Draco? Let him go."

And Fred did.

He might not know if he could really make her happy, but he would do everything in his power to try to make it happen.

* * *

"Why, Molly?" Hermione asked, lost. "Why ask Fred to come along with me? Can't Draco protect me?" She turned around wildly, trying to look for Draco.

Molly looked pain-stricken.

Poor Hermione, how hard it must have been for her to witness Draco's death… Poor Fred, how hard it must have been for him to love her under the pretence of being Draco…

"Please, Molly, _please_… Can Draco come along too?" When Molly didn't answer her, she let out a dry sob. "Can you take me to Draco, please?"

Molly gave her a small smile. "Hermione dear, I'll take you to Draco. An-And Draco will go with you to Shell Cottage for the Order's protection program."

Hermione's blinding smile told Molly why Fred was so smitten with her.

* * *

Hermione had been tossing in her bed for the better half of the hour. No matter what she did, she found that she wasn't able to fall asleep. Sighing, she decided to go down for a cup of warm milk.

Fleur was there when she got downstairs. Initially, the both of them minded their own businesses. Until…

"'ermione," Fleur started, "do you love him?"

Hermione turned to Fleur, who was wearing a quizzical look on her face. "Who? Draco?"

Fleur winced, but managed to hide it just before Hermione could see it. "Oui. Do you?"

"Yes," Hermione replied, unfazed.

"Did you love him before, or do you love him now?" Fleur's eyes were uncharacteristically sympathetic and Hermione found herself frowning.

"Does it make any difference?" she asked.

"Oui." Fleur nodded. When Hermione didn't reply, she added, "The war can do many strange things to people. It can change feelings, too."

Hermione bit her lip, trying to reflect. She shook her head slowly. "I don't know…"

"Your…_Draco_, does 'e act different than 'e did before?"

Hermione's eyes fluttered shut as she tried to think back. "I suppose so. But as you said, the war does strange things to people."

Fleur nodded. "So do you like the reformed Draco, or the old Draco better?"

"It's like… We're like you and Bill, in a way." She turned from Fleur to stare out the window. "Before Bill was afflicted by Fernir… I mean, do you love him any less for what he is now?"

"Of course not!" Fleur exclaimed, wide-eyed.

Hermione smiled. "Draco and I are the same. I love him then, I love him now."

* * *

"'ermione, wake up!" Fleur was shaking her up. "'ermione! We've been found! 'urry, we 'ave to get the Order!"

Hermione snapped out of it at once. "Where's Draco?"

"Fred and Bill are trying to fight zem off," Fleur cried, momentarily forgetting that she was to address Fred as 'Draco'.

"Where's Draco?" Hermione asked once again, desperate.

"'e's… 'e's fighting with the boys."

"I want to go and help, Fleur. Let me help!" Hermione exclaimed, trying to fight the strong hold Fleur had on her.

"No. Zey want us to get the Order. We must go to the Burrow."

"Would they be alright?"

Fleur closed her eyes to prevent her tears from falling. The chances of both men making it out unscathed was slim. There were at least ten experience Death Eaters out there, and only Fred and Bill to fight them off. "I 'ope zey will."

* * *

A pop in the room signified that someone had apparated to the Burrow. Hermione and Fleur all but rushed to the living room.

Bill had laid Fred down on the sofa, trying all the while trying to stop his bleeding. The wounds on his torso had begun to blacken, a sure sign of dark magic.

"Bill! What happened to him?" Molly screeched, hysterically.

"Lestrange got him good. I tried to stop them, but the spell got to him. I think it's dark magic. Can anyone get Severus to take a look?"

Molly nodded. "I'll floo him." And she ran out of the room.

Bill and Fleur retreated to the kitchen so that Fleur would be able to see to the wound on his arm.

That left Hermione alone.

* * *

When Fred opened his eyes, the last person he had expected to see was Hermione. But there she was, holding his hand, crying for him. "Hermione…" he murmured. He wasn't sure if he was ready to move. He wasn't sure if he still could move.

And then she was crying again, holding his hand close to hers.

"Hermione," he breathed, "I love you. I've loved you for so long. And I will continue loving you… And it won't matter if I'm dead, because I'll still love you."

"Don't do this!" she cried, "Don't say goodbye, please. Don't die."

"I'd love to stay here with you, Hermione," he coughed, "but… Sometimes we have to accept things as they are."

"Please… Please don't die, _please_."

"I…" He felt pain shooting up his chest, heading straight forward to his heart. "I love you, Hermione, don't forget that."

"Fred, please!"

Fred smiled. "You called me Fred…"

She nodded frantically. "I've..realized. Everything. I love you, Fred! _You. _Not Draco, _you_. Please, Fred, please…"

Fred managed a weak laugh. "I… I love-" A spasm of pain broke out in his body and he hissed loudly.

Hermione screamed for Bill, she screamed for Fleur, she screamed for Molly, she screamed for Godric, but it was no use.

Fred's eyes stared without seeing, the ghost of his last laugh still etched upon his face


End file.
